Page 16 of The Dragon Sacrifice

7

Seela woke up in a puddle of drool, her hair plastered to her forehead in sweaty waves.

She sat up, groggy and unsure of where she was. Glancing around the dim room, she remembered it all—the abduction, the dragons, the princes. What would today bring?

When she spied a tray of food, her stomach rumbled—eggs, toast, and jam. It was waiting at the foot of her bed though she hadn’t heard anyone come or go, but then, she’d been dead tired from all she’d been through.

She grabbed the tray and dragged it back to the bed, still basking in the luxuriousness of the blankets. Why were some things here new and some old? Where did they get this food from? It certainly hadn’t grown in the dark. But still, she shoveled it into her mouth, grateful the princes weren’t here to see how famished she was.

When she’d eaten, she got up to explore the room. She’d been too tired to do so the night before, so she took her time. Any number of unanswered questions might lurk in that ancient bureau’s drawers. Or behind the door she realized awaited at the back of the room. But Langdon could come in any time and find her rifling through his things. She didn’t want to risk offending her host, especially because doing so might mean her being turned over to those monsters. Strolling around, she examined what she could without digging, keeping one eye on the door.

On a chair beside the bureau, she found a new outfit, an expensive dress fit for royalty. She touched the silken blue skirt, her fingertips marveling at the smoothness of the fabric. She’d never worn anything but rough cotton unless you counted her Selection dress, but that was once a year. And now that hung off her form in tatters. The dress in front of her was made for royalty. Gold brocaid wound around the bodice in hand-stitched flowers and leaves. The skirt flared out, big and full. It was the most beautiful dress she’d ever seen.

But she couldn’t put on a dress that nice with how filthy she was from scrambling around in the caves. Seela eyed the pool at the back of the room. What would it be like to submerge herself in water that deep? The largest bathtub she’d ever been in was the little one her mother pulled out for special occasions and that always left her freezing, her legs and upper torso sticking out as she quickly scrubbed herself.

What would it be like to soak?

After making her way over, Seela dipped a toe in. The water was so warm.

Not able to resist, she stripped naked, glancing at the door to make sure it was still closed. Then she submerged herself in the water.

Warmth encased her body as she floated. The pool was deep enough that her head and shoulders stayed above the water if she stood up. It was wide enough that she could fit five more people inside if she’d wanted. What luxury. She leaned her head back, wetting her hair and marveling at the way it felt as each of her follicles swayed. The warmth made her body tingle like the water was a gentle caress. Seela dipped down, wanting to feel it touch every inch of her body.

It felt as good as she’d suspected.

When she popped up, Langdon was standing at the edge of the pool, staring down.

“Ah!” she screamed, covering herself.

Langdon’s eyes went wide as if surprised to find her there. Like a gentleman, he averted his gaze, though she was sure he’d gotten an eyeful beforehand.

“What are you doing here?” she shouted, covering her breasts with her hands.

Langdon cleared his throat, his eyes still on the gemmed ceiling. “I’m sorry, Seela. I came in to get a change of clothes. I knocked. When you didn’t answer, I became concerned.”

Of course. It was his room, and he’d knocked while she’d been underwater. He had every right to be here. She was the one using his pool without permission.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I wanted to wash before I put that beautiful gown on, but then it felt so good.”

“It does feel good,” Langdon said. There was something tight in his voice. If Seela didn’t know better, she’d suspect he was picturing her naked in the pool. To her surprise, she didn’t mind. In fact, she had a startling impulse to climb out and let him take his fill. But then, what kind of girl would do that? What had happened to her propriety? Sure, he was a prince and a handsome one at that, but how could he respect a girl who threw herself at a stranger?

Seela pressed against the rocky side of the pool, letting it do the lion’s share of hiding her body. “Sorry to be a pest, but if you wouldn’t mind stepping out again, I can get dressed.”

“Of course.” Langdon hurried to the door, opened it, and stepped out. When it closed behind him, Seela sighed. After getting out of the water, she quickly dried off and got dressed.

The silk felt nearly as good on her body as the water had. And the dress fit her perfectly, hugging her every curve and showing off her breasts in the style of ladies of the court. Next, she towel dried and plaited her hair. There was no looking glass in Langdon’s room, but from what she could tell, her appearance was much improved.

She found them sitting around the small kitchen table. Noticing her, their conversation stopped, three handsome faces turning her way. Langdon stood, offering her his chair even though there was another waiting next to his. She took it, feeling awkward and unsure of herself.

“How are you this morning?” Jerrard asked. His green eyes were dimmer today, almost as if she’d imagined their bright hue yesterday. But he was just as stunningly handsome. She let her eyes trace over his features—strong jaw, regal cheekbones, hair that fell softly around his forehead—before dropping her eyes to the pitted tabletop.

“I am fine. Thank you. What’s the situation with those monsters? Still at bay?”

Once again, the three brothers exchanged a look.

“We thought today I would take you to see the caves,” Langdon said, meeting her gaze. “Stenton and Jerrard have business to attend to, but we will meet up with them at dinner.”

“I see.” Seela could tell there was much they weren’t telling her, but she felt it best to play it cool. “Where are these caves? Will we be vulnerable to those creatures?”

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